Welcome to Volterra

Summary:
"Caius, surely you see the potential. I haven't seen a prospective talent so promising since we found Jane and Alec. Can you imagine the possibilities when she is one of us?" - Aro
Edward is gone. Jacob never came to Bella's room. She is alone. What happens when she goes to Italy for her senior class trip?

Notes:
This is my second fic and my first attempt at a multichaptered fic.

10. Chapter 10: Chosen

"I fell into a burning ring of fire. I went down, down, down. And the flames went higher. And it burns, burns, burns. That ring of fire. That ring of fire," I sang to myself.

Ugh. This is so boring. I can't believe that I am stuck here babysitting. I know that I'm the only one physically strong enough to handle a newborn alone should she wake, but Jane could easily deal with her also. But, nooo! Aro would never dream of ordering his precious little pet to do something so demeaning. He wouldn't think to ask any of the talented members of the guard. So, I get stuck. And, come on! It's not like she's going anywhere.

This SUCKS! Three days wasted, sitting here and doing nothing but listen to her scream. She does have a good set of lungs on her. Hmm. I wonder if she'll look as luscious as she smelt. I wouldn't mind hearing her scream out my name.

Before I could pursue this line of thought further, Demetri interrupted, "Any progress?" He has been reporting every hour since Isabel reached the sixty-hour mark. This was his fifth visit.

"Her pulse kicked into high gear a few minutes ago. I give her another two hours at the most."

"I will inform Aro."

Bella POV

After what felt like an eternity spent burning in hell, the scorching heat slowly began to diminish in intensity. First, the pain started to fade from my fingers and toes and gradually spread up my arms and legs and throughout my body. Eventually, the inferno was concentrated only in my heart. There was a final eruption as my heart beat for the last time. Then, the pain was gone, the fire extinguished except for the dry burn located in the back of my throat.

I opened my eyes and I could see everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. I lay there for a moment, staring at the minute cracks in the almond painted ceiling. Then I noticed the soft sound of someone breathing near me.

I bolted upright, causing thick strips of Velcro fabric to rip away from my arms and legs. I saw three cloaked figures standing in front of the doorway as I leapt to the opposite side of the room. At the same time, I forcefully pushed the bed I had been restrained on across the floor. It violently flew straight at the figures near the door. The biggest of the three merely put out his arm to stop the flying bed, catching it in the middle of the side rail. The metal frame bent into a u-shape around his arm and he threw it, causing it to crash into the wall of the otherwise empty room.

I found myself in the furthest corner from the door in a crouched position. "Who are you?! Stay back!" I growled, as the one with papery-looking skin flanked by the other two made a slight move in my direction, holding his palms up in what I supposed to be a gesture of peace.

He paused where he was, the others following his lead, and said, "We mean you no harm, young one."

I remained in the crouched position. My eyes flickered between the three, trying to assess if they were being honest or if they posed a threat.

"You do not remember us, Isabel?" he questioned.

Still unsure of the threat they posed, I considered the fact that I was pretty much trapped in this room and decided my only choice was to cooperate. "No," I answered truthfully. "Who is Isabel? Is that my name?"

"Yes. That is your name," he replied, looking only the slightest bit worried. Oh my God! Why can't I remember my own name?! Isabel - that's my name. It sounds strangely familiar, but also wrong at the same time.

My face probably gave away my panic, because he tried to reassure me. "Don't worry, my child. We do lose most of our human memories during the transformation. Tell me. What do you remember?"

I thought for a moment. All I could remember was fire and pain. "I remember being in hell."

"And before that?"

"There is nothing before that."

"Interesting." Interesting! I can't remember anything, not even my own name, and all he has to say is interesting.

"The pain of transformation is always the clearest human memory," the one to his left commented in a soothing tone. He was trying to comfort me. At least one of them sounded as if they actually cared.

But something about what he said caught my attention. Why did they both keep saying human memories and transformation? Am I dead? I must be; I was in hell. But where am I now? Am I in heaven? No. That doesn't make any sense. Maybe this is purgatory. Then, who are these angels?

Sensing my confusion, the first one offered, "Is there anything you would like to ask me?"

"What do you mean by transformation? And, who are you?"

"I'm sorry. Let me make introductions. I am Aro and this is Felix..." gesturing to the bigger one on his right and then to his left "...and this is Demetri. We are vampires as are you, now." He left it at that, giving me time to process what he said.

Vampires. Somewhere in my vast brain I thought that I should be thinking they were crazy. But it sounded pretty reasonable to me, like I somehow should have known it all along.

"Okay...so I'm a vampire. What am I doing here? And where is here?"

"You are in Volterra, Italy, home of the Volturi. My brothers and I are the ruling family of the vampire world. Our elite guard enforces the laws that govern our kind. Felix and Demetri are high-ranking members of the guard. They, along with Jane, another member of the guard, found you wandering the streets of the city alone. She instantly knew that you were special and brought you here to meet me. You were already aware of what we were and asked to be changed. Seeing your great potential as a valuable member of the guard, I decided to grant your request for immortality. It has been three days and now your transformation is complete."

"I was special?" I asked skeptically. Even though I couldn't remember my human life, that did not sound right to me.

"You had an impressive talent, even by vampire standards. And for the talent to manifest itself so strongly in human form indicates that you will be very powerful, indeed. That is why you were chosen."

"Chosen?"

"To join our prestigious guard." He replied as if it should have been completely obvious.

"It is a great honor, especially for a human. You should be very proud, Isabel." Demetri added. His voice was smooth like silk.

"Um...thanks. But I am still confused. What is my talent?"

"You are a shield," Aro stated.

"I'm a shield. What does that even mean?"

"It is a defensive talent. You are able to block the gifts of others," Demetri explained. "Aro and Jane each have powerful gifts and you thwarted them both." He sounded very impressed. "And now that you are a vampire..."

"Oh, I'm so terribly curious to see how you turned out!" Aro interrupted, sounding absolutely delighted. "Shall we test you?!" he cried and started to glide forward.

Suddenly nervous, I swallowed, reminding me of the dry burn in my throat. I brought my hands up to cup my neck.

"Of course, how rude of me!" Aro was apologizing. "You must be very thirsty. After a few thousand years, one tends to forget what it is like to be so young. Come. I have a present waiting for you."